After an opening day filled with plenty of low numbers at the Golfweek Pacific Northwest Senior Amateur, only one man got below 70 on moving day at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Washington – and that helped him leapfrog a handful of competitors all the way to the top of the Senior division.
Craig Larson of Kapalua, Hawaii, leads his division by three shots after 36 holes at Wine Valley. Larson opened the 54-hole tournament with a 1-under 71 and then came back with a 4-under 68 on Wednesday. Larson had five birdies and made his sole bogey on the par-3 16th hole.
This is familiar territory for Larson, who won the inaugural Golfweek Pacific Northwest Senior back in 2022. On his way to that victory, Larson built a five-shot lead through 36 holes and ended up winning by four shots. Later that fall, Larson finished second at the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Senior Amateur.
More recently, Larson finished in the top 20 at the Trans-Miss Senior Amateur played in Southern California in May. He was runner-up at the Washington Senior Amateur Championship last month. Remarkably, in the latter event he fell on the third hole of a playoff when Paul Hogben made a hole-in-one for the title.
Behind Larson – and still very much in striking distance – is Greg Chianello of Portland. He trails Larson by three shots at 2 under while Kevin VandenBerg of Pulaski, New York, is another shot back at 1 under.
Juan Angel of Colombia, the world’s second-best player in the 55-and-over category according to the World Amateur Golf Ranking, is even par after 36 holes.
In the Super Senior division, not much changed after another 18 holes. Pat O’Donnell of Happy Valley, Oregon, and Scott Masingill of Payette, Idaho, still share the lead and now are at 5 under. Both men have posted rounds of 68-71.
Jim Pliska, who owns Wine Valley Golf Club as well as Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Oregon, is lurking in third place at even par.
Dan Parkinson of Lehi, Utah, leads the Legends division at 3 over after rounds of 74-73. He is three shots ahead of Gerry Graham from Mesa, Arizona.
Read the full article here